Finger-exercising device.



0.?. STEGKELBERG. FINGER EXERGISING DEVICE. APPLIGATION PIILBD Nov. 7, 190s.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

UNITED STATES IiiTEN FFICE.

CARL FREDERIC STEGKELBERG, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

rmsnanxnnorsrivs DEVICE.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I. CARL F. STECKELBERG,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful F niger-Exercising Device, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to devices for exercising the fingers and is particularly designed for use by persons learning to play the violin, viola, cello and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple form of device for developing muscular flexibility and all general technique of the left hand, means being employed for actuation by the iingers of the left hand which means are provided with adjustable resisting devices, designed to be varied to accord with the limit of strength in the performers hand.

Another object is to provide an exercising device of this character which is of simple construction and which is designed to be held in the saine manner as is the instrument being studied by the performer.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :`Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, a portion of the body thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the head of one of the levers.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the body of the device, the same consisting of a bar of any suitable material having a chin rest 2 at one end thereof, said rest being provided with a concaved face 3 so as to fit comfortably against the chin while the body is being held like a violin. The middle portion of the body 1 is olf-set or elevated as indicated at 4 and is provided upon opposite sides with ears 5 each of which constitutesa support for the pivot pin 6 of a lever 7. Four of these ears and a corresponding number of levers are preferably provided, said levers being arranged in pairs and each having a plate or head 8 at one end, said heads being grouped together as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 to constitute a longitudinally extending Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application led November 7, 1908.

.sary to use a block designed to receive Patented Oct. 5, 1909. Serial No. 461,560.

series. Each lever is provided at that end farthest removed from its head 8, with a spring 9 connected to a screw-threaded rod 10 on which is mounted a nut 11. The rods 10 of one pair of levers 7 extend through the body 1 adjacent the chin-rest 2 while the rods of the other pair of levers extend through the other end portion of the body and which has been indicated by the numeral 12. rI hese rods are mounted to slide within the body and the nuts 11 bear thereagainst so that when they are turned'upon the rods 10 they move them longitudinally and thus either increase or diminish the stress of springs 7 according to the direction in which the rods are shifted.

In using the device the same is held in the same manner as the violin or other instrument being studied by the user and the fingers of the left hand are placed upon the heads 8 of levers 7, the springs 9 having iirst been adjusted so as to suit the strength of the fingers of the user. Various exercises can then be executed with the lingers of the left hand upon the heads 8, and it will be found that in this manner the flexibility of the muscles can be greatly increased and the general technique rapidly improved.

It is of course to be understood that while the device is especially designed for use by persons studying the violin and similar stringed instruments7 it can also be employed with advantage by students of the piano.

Obviously, changes may be made in the construction of the device to adapt it to performers upon different styles of instruments.

Especial importance is attached to the fact that the springs 9 can be so adjusted as to adapt the device for use by persons whose fingers are of different strengths without undertaxing or overtaxing the strength of the user.

Various changes can of course be made in the construction and arrangement of -t-he parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, each of the heads 8 can be provided with parallel ribs 8 disposed in alinement and corresponding with the strings on the instrument to be played. It is also to be understood that if desired the ears 5 may be dispensed with and the levers 7 pivotally mounted directly upon the extension 4t, it merely being necespivot screws.

That is claimed is 2 l. A finger exercising device comprising a body, parallel levers fulcrumed thereon, said levers having heads normally in alinement, the meeting edges of the heads being parallel With the pivotal axes of the levers, and adjustable elastic means for controlling the movement of the levers.

2. A finger exercising device comprising a body, levers fulcrumed upon the body, each lever having a head depressible With relation to the structure, the adjoining edges of the heads being parallel With the pivotal axes of the levers, an elastic connection between each lever and the structure, and means for adjusting said connections to eon trol. the depression of the heads.

3. A finger-exercising device comprising a body, a chin-rest thereon, a series of levers fulcrumed upon the body, each lever having a head and said heads being grouped together, and adjustable elast-ic means for controlling the movement of the levers.

ll. A linger exercising device comprising` a body, depressible devices thereon having parallel ribs disposed in the same relation as the strings of an instrument to be played, and yielding means for controlling the movement. of said devices.

5. A finger exercising device comprising a body, a chin-rest extending therefrom, levers pivotally mounted upon opposite portions of the body and extending longitudinally thereof, a head upon each lever, all of said heads being grouped together and in alinement, and yielding` means for controlling the movement of the levers.

(i. A linger exercising device comprising a body, a chin-rest thereon, levers pivotally mounted upon each side of the body, said levers extending longitudinally of the body, there being a head upon each lever and all of said heads being grouped together and disposed in alinement, parallel ribs upon the heads, the corresponding ribs of all the heads being disposed in alinement and all of said ribs being disposed in the same relation to each other as the strings of an instrument to be played, and means for yieldingly holding the levers and their heads in predetermined positions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto a'llixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CARL FREDERIC STEKELBERG. lVitnesses O. l?. Tim,

W B. RYoNs. 

